Battery-charge indication.



W. E. HOLLAND.

BATTERY CHARGE INDICATION.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 10, 1911 Patented Nov. 26, 1912.

WALTER E. HOLLAND, F Eas'r ORANGE, new JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO EDISON STORAGE BATTERY COMPANY, OF WEST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

BATTERY-CHARGE INDICATION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Applicatipn filed June 10,

PatentedNov. 26, 191 2. 1911. Serial No. 632,365.

-To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, WALTERYE. HOLLAND,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident ofEast Orange, Essex county, New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Battery-Charge Indication, of which the following is a specification. 1

. My invention relates generally to a method for determining and to means for indicating to What extent a storage battery has been charged during the charging operation, and more particularly to an improved device for this purpose which is simple in construction and eilicient in operation.

In the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification, I have illustrated in a vertical sectional view one embodiment of my improved battery charge indicator in operative relation to 'a storage battery. i

The battery containing can 1 is provided With'the top 2 in which is secured a nipple or plug 3 by a beaded flange 4". This constructi'on is the same as that shown in the patent to Edison, No. 821,624, granted May 29, 1906, in which the nipple or plug 3 forms a part of the gas vent described in the said patent. This nipple or plug may be used for the reception of my improved .charge indicator, but obviously any con venient form of opening .in the containing battery can or jar maybe utilized for this purpose.

My improved battery charge indicator comprises a vent pipe or tube having an tube has a reduced portion 9 forming a elongated stem portion 4, an enlarged portion 5 and an upper end portion 6 bent over and extending into a reservoir 7. The reservoir 7' ispreferably of bell or cup shape with thin walls,

largedportion' 5. The end of the vent tube extending into the reservoir s enlarged, as is shown at 8. The other end of the vent shoulder around the lower part of the tube and fitting tightly into a cork, rubber, or other suitable stopper 10, the said stopper being adapted to be inserted in the opening of the nipple or plug 3. The device con1- prising the reservoir and'the vent pipe or tube may be made of either transparent or opaque material, such as glass, metal or or other form adapted to pulsate, and may be mounted on the en hard rubber, and is preferably made of durable and elastic or resilient material.

My improved battery charge indicator is used-as follows :The device is inserted into a suitable opening in the battery containing I can or jar and the reservoir 7 is partially filled with water or some other suitable liquid to a level above the opening 8 of the upper end of the vent pipe, as is shown in the drawing. The reservoir 7 or the por tion .of the vent tube within thereservoir is preferably provided-with a dicate the height to which the reservoir shouldbe filled with liquid. All openings in the battery containing can or jar except that by way of the vent tube/L are closed. While the battery is being charged, gases are given ofi which pass through the vent tube -l and escape from the upper end of the said tube through the liquid 11 in bubbles As each bubble of gas escapes, a distinctmark to inthrob or pulsation is produced in the res ervoir, which may be felt by touching anyholding the reservoir between the thumb and finger, or otherwise in the hand. The throbs-or pulsations may, however, be observed by touching any part of the device. It is preferable to employ the sense of touch and countthe pulsations produced by the bubbles, because this method leaves the eye of the observer free to note the time. In

order to render the device more convenient to use, it should be calibrated by-charging the battery at different rates and noting the number of bubbles per half-minute. or perminute, or other'convenient unit of time corresponding to different fractions of full charge at various charging rates.- Curves showing these results may be plotted on cross section paper with the number of bub} bles perunit of time as ordinates, and the ampere hours, of charge as abscissae. In

charging a battery, the charging rate is measured by an ammeter, and if the observer counts the number of bubbles given off in a unit of time, he can by reference to the curves',determine to What extent the battery has been charged and also when it is fully charged;

The end of the vent tube extending into the reservoir'is enlarged for the purpose of increasing the size and decreasing the num;

ber of the bubbles given off and thereby enabling them to be more readily counted,

' whetherobserved by the eye or by the sense [of touch. The gases given oil froma battery during charging carry with them portionsof the electrolyte, and the ()bjQCb of the enlarged portion 5 of the vent tube .is to decrease thevelocity of the electrolyte carried by thegasesend' permit it to be do posited on the Walls of the enlarged portion and run backinto the battery containing can or jar. The'shape of the device,

and particularly of the reservoir, is such as in'producing mechanical pulsations by the gas bubbles giverr oil from the battery, and

observing" the number of such pulsations in an interval of" time, substantially as set forth {QLQThe combination of a storage battery cell, and means for indicating the condition of charge thereof, comprising a device adapted to be caused to pulsate perceptibly by the gasbubbles given oil from the cell during charging, substantially as described. A battery charge indicator comprising a reservoir capable of pulsating perceptibly,

a ventpipe or tube having one end extend- .ing into-"the reservoir and the other end adapted to be inserted into the battery cell, substantially described.

- 4. A'battery charge indicator comprising a cup or'bell sl'iaped. reservoir for containing a liquid, a vent pipe or tube having one end extending into the reservoir and the other end adapted to be inserted into the battery cell, substantially as described.

' 5. A battery charge indicator comprising a reservo r for contalnlng a liquid, and a-ventpipe or tube having one end enlarged and; extending into the reservoir, and the weasel other end adapted to-be inserted into a battery cell, whereby gases generated the battery cell during charging may be conducted-fron'i the cell to the reservoir, substantially as described..."

6. A battery charge indicator comprising a reservoir for containing a liquid, and a vent pipe or tube having one end extending into the reservoir and the other end adapted to be inserted in a battery cell, whereby. gases generated in the battery cell during charging may be conducted l ronrthecell to the reservoir, and the'said'pipe being provided with means for'reducing the velocity of gas flow through a portion thereof, substantially as described."- i

7. A battery charge indicator comprising a reservoir for containing a liquid, and a vent pipe or tube having one end extending into the reservoir and the other end adapted vto be inserted in abattery cell, whereby i gases generated in the battery cell during charging may be conducted from the cell to the reservoir, and the said pipe being provided with an enlarged portion intermediate the ends thereof, substantially asdescribed.

8. A battery charge indicator comprising a cup or bell shaped reservoir and a vent tube or pipe havingan elongated stem por tion, an enlarged portion communicating tion leading from the enlarged portion into the reservoir, the said reservoir being mounted on the enlarged portion of the said vent pipe or tube, substantially as described.

with the stem portion, and a bent over por 9. A method for determining to What GX-E tent a storage battery has been charged during the charging operat1on, wh1ch conslsts in producing mechanical pulsatlons by the gas bubbles given oft from the battery, and" observing the number of such pulsations in an interval of time by the sense oi": touch, substantially as set forth. i v

1 10. A battery charge indicator compris ing a cup or bell shaped reservoir and a; vent tube or pipe, the said: tube or pipe having a stern portion, the lower end' 'of which is adapted to be inserted in a battery cell an d the upper end oi which is-provi dedwith a chamber, and a bent'over portion leading from the chamber and extended into the reservoir, the openingin theend ofithe said bent-over portion extended into the reservoir being enlarged, substantially as described. J s This specification signed andxivitnessed this 6th day of June 1911.

; WALTER E'.=HOLLA.ND. 

